Pliers



ec. 11, 1934. R. CHOAfE 1,983,519

PLIERS Original Filed June 27, 1932 INVENTOR.

BY M

ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 11, 1934 PATENT OFFICE 1,983,519 PLIERS Roy Choate, Wichita, Kan's.

Application June 27, 1932; Serial No. 619,488

, Renewed May S, 1934 4 Claims. (01. 81-15) Thisinventionrelates to pliers including gripping means and an operating lever, and has for its object to relatively position the gripping means and the lever so as to'adapt the gripping means t for operative engagement in a'restricted space and still leave the lever free for appreciable arcuate swingfor operating the pliers.

- It is a further object of the'invention to adapt the pliers for use on the fenders of vehicle bodies, particularly for tightening the wire bead at the edge of a fender, and to relatively position the gripping means and the operating lever so that with the gripping means engagingthe wire bead the operating lever extends'along the exterior surface of the adjacent portion of the fender whereby movement of the'lever is unobstructed throughout the appreciable arcuate swing which is required for tightening the wire bead.

More 'p'articul'arlyit isan object of the invention to provide pliers'having cooperating jaws with an opening therebetween at one-end-whereby the jaws may engage opposite sides of the object which is to'be gripped,-and having a lever.

for operating the pliers at one'side of and pro: jecting beyond the jaws in the same direction as that of their open ends, whereby the lever lies alongside the gripped object where it is free for non-obstructed appreciable arcuate swing away from the same.

It is-a further particular object of the invention to provide an operating lever positioned with relation to the jaws as just described and comprising elements adapted for relative movement for operatively contracting the jawsand then adapted to swing as a'unit for operating the pliers.

The invention is herein-after particularly described as embodied in hand operated fender pliers having pivoted handles adapted to bemanually gripped for contracting the jaws on the wire'bead at the edge of a fender and then manually swung as a'unit for tightening the metal o fthe fender around the wire; but it will be 45 obvious that the invention is applicable to any plier construction adapted'to engage a wire bead or the like,'irrespective of the means employed for, contracting the jaws or then swinging the pliers.

The invention will be readily understoodfrom the following description of the accompanying drawing, in which: I

Fig. 1 is aside elevationof the pliers operatively engaging the wirebead at the edge of a vehicle fender, and showing Icy-broken lines the position to'which the pliers are swung for tightening the wire bead.

Fig. 2 is-a transverse section on the line 2--2' of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3-isa fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1 5

but showing the plier-s operatively'engaging the edge of a different type of fender.

-A-usual fender of a vehicle body is shown in cross-section in Figs. 1 and 3; and comprises a fender 1 projecting from body 2 over wheel 3 and-having a depending flange 4 or 4 at its outer edge, with the flange 4 terminating in a usual inturned'wire'bead, and the flange 4 having an inturned iiange 4 at its loweredge terminating in'a similar inturned wire bead. The wire bead 5 includes ausual wire 5 having a bead at the edge of the-flange 4-or 4 wrapped around the wire concentric therewith as shown at 5, and terminating' i-n close proximity to that portion-5 of the'bead which merges from the curved portion into a flat continuation of the fiat flange 4 or 4 When usual fender pliers grip the wire bead shown in Fig. L thah'andles of the pliers extend downwardly below the fender and swinging movement o'f the handles for tightening the wire bead is thus limited by their abutment against wheel 3 so that the desired tightening action cannot'be readily obtained; and with a fender of the'type shown in Fig. 3 it is impossible to grip its wire bead with usual fender pliers without first re- 30 movingthe wheel 3, since the handles of the'pliers would strike the wheelpreventing the pliers from even grippingthe bead, let alone swinging the pliers for tightening the'bead.

The present invention provides pliers adapted 35 to readily gripthe bead of either of the typical fenders illustrated, and adapted to be then freely swung. through the length of arc necessary to tighten vthe bead. For this purpose the pliers comprise'handles 10--11 lying alongside one another an'd'pivotally connected at 12. Beyond the pivotalconnec'tion the handle 10 is prolonged as a 1jaw13'having an outer fiat jaw surface 14 adaptedto engage the fiat surface of the portion 5' 'o'f the wire bead, and the handle 11 is prolongedand' then curved around'the end of jaw 13 in spaced relation therebeyond as shown at 1'5, finally'terminating in a reverselybent jaw 16 overlying the jaw 13 and having an inner jaw surface whichwhen the jaws are closed is in such close proximity'to jaw surface 14 that when the jaw surface 14 engages the flat surface of the portion 5* of the wire bead, a'transverse curved groove 1'7 in the inner jaw surface of jaw 16 is adapted to-concentrically engagethe curved por- 55 tion of the wire bead. By relatively expanding the handles the cooperating jaws are thus adapted to be swung open so that the edge of the fender may be received in the opening at the end of the jaws, so as to grip the wire bead by then relatively contracting the handles; and the cooperating handles extend along the outer surface of either flange 4 or 4 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 respectively, so that there is nothing to obstruct free swinging movement of the handles as shown by arrows A until the wire bead has been tightened to the desired degree, at which time swinging movement is arrested by the jaw 16 engaging the inner surface of flanges 4 and 4 as shown by broken lines in Figs. 1 and 3 respectively. When thus swinging the handles for tightening the wire bead, the jaws are swung concentric with the wire 5*, due to the curved groove 17 being concentric with the curved portion 5 of the bead which is in turn concentric with wire 5 and the curved portion 5 of the bead is thuswrapped more tight- 1y around the wire 5 with the flat jaw surface 14 simply riding along the portion 5 of the bead so as to permit said swinging movement of the jaws for concentrically tightening'the curved portion 5 of the bead around the wire 5.

lies in the same direction in which the cooperating handles -l1 project, the operating lever formed by the cooperating handles lies alongside the object which is gripped instead of projecting away from the same as with usual pliers, and by then swinging the lever away from the side of 7 the gripped object there is nothing to obstruct swinging movement throughout an appreciable are such as will provide the desired twisting action.

This invention is thus adapted to work on objects where the available space in certain directions is appreciably restricted; and is particularly applicable to tightening the wire bead at the edge of a vehicle fender, since the overhanging flange of the fender at its side at which its inturned bead is formed, affords but very little working space between the beaded edge of the fender and the adjacent wheel of the vehicle. The present invention provides for readily work ing in such restricted space, with the jaws gripping the wire bead but the handles extending alongside the overhanging fender flange instead of projecting away from the same, and thereby permitting free swing of the handles through the desired arc for tightening the bead.

I claim:

1. Pliers adapted to tighten a wire bead of that type which includes a wire and a bead having a flat portion at one side of the wire and merging into a curved edge which is wrapped concentrical- 1y around the wire; comprising a jaw having a flat outer gripping surface, a second jaw, a connection between the jaws, the second jaw extending beyond said connection around the end of the first jaw and terminating in a reversely bent portion overlying the fiat gripping surface of the first jaw and providing an opening between the jaws at the end of the reversely bent portion of the second jaw, the inner surface of the reversely bent portion of the second jaw having a transverse curved groove forming a gripping surface cooperating with the flat gripping surface of the first jaw for reception of the wire bead between the jaws, with the flat gripping surface engaging the flat portion of the bead and the grooved gripping surface concentrically engaging the cur ged portion of said bead, and an gperating lever for swinging the jaws as a unit concentrically with the wire of the bead, so that the grooved gripping surface tightly wraps the curved portion of the bead around the wire while the flat gripping surface rides along the bead where its flat portion merges into its curved portion, the operating lever projecting beyond the connection between the jaws in the direction of the reversely bent end of the second jaw.

2. Pliers adapted to tighten a wire bead at the. edge of a vehicle fender and of that type which includes a wire and a bead having a fiat portion at one side of the wire at the outer side of the fender and merging into a curved edge which is wrapped concentrically around the wire at the inner side of the fender; comprising a jaw having a fiat outer gripping surface, a second jaw, a connection between the jaws, the second jaw extending beyond said connection around the end of the first jaw and terminating in a reversely bent portion overlying the flat gripping surface of the first jaw and providing an opening between the jaws at the end of the reversely bent portion of the second jaw, the inner surface of the reversely bent portion of the second jaw having a transverse curved groove forming a gripping surface cooperating with the fiat gripping surface of the first jaw for reception of the wire bead between the jaws, with the fiat gripping surface engaging the flat portion of the bead and the grooved gripping surface concentrically engaging the curved portion of said bead, and an operating lever for swinging the jaws as a unit concentrically with the wire ofthe bead, so that'the grooved gripping surface tightly wraps the curved portion of the bead around the wire while the flat gripping surface rides along the bead whereits flat portion merges into its curved portion, the operating lever projecting beyond the connection between the jaws at one side of their cooperating gripping surfaces and in the direction of the reversely bent end of the second jaw whereby the operating lever is adapted to extend alongside the outer surface of the beaded edge of the fender.

3. Pliers adapted to tighten a wire bead of that type which includes a wire and a bead having a flat portion at one. side of the wire and merging into a curved edge which is wrapped concentrically around the wire; comprising handles alongside one another and pivotally connected, a jaw on one of the handles beyond the pivotal connection and having a fiat outer gripping surface, and a jaw on the other handle projecting beyond the pivotal connection and curved around the end of the first jaw and terminating in a reversely bent portion overlying the flat gripping surface of the first jaw and providing an opening between the jaws at the end of the reversely bent portion of the second jaw, the inner surface of the reversely bent portion of the second jaw having a transverse curved groove forming a gripping surface cooperating with the fiat gripping surface of the first jaw for reception of the wire bead between the jaws, with the flat gripping surface engaging the flat portion of the bead and the grooved gripping surface concentrically engaging the curved portion of said bead, the handles being adapted to swing the jaws as a unit concentrically with the wire of the bead, so that the grooved gripping surface tightly wraps the curved portion of the bead around the wire while the flat gripping surface rides along the bead where its fiat portion merges into its curved portion.

4. Pliers adapted to tighten a wire bead at the edge of a vehicle fender and of that type which includes a wire and a bead having a flat portion at one side of the wire at the outer side of the fender and merging into a curved edge which is wrapped concentrically around the wire at the inner side of the fender; comprising handles alongside one another and pivotally connected, a jaw on one of the handles beyond the pivotal connection and having a flat outer gripping surface, and a jaw on the other handle projecting beyond the pivotal connection and curved around the end of the first jaw and terminating in a reversely bent portion overlying the flat gripping surface of the first jaw and providing an opening between the jaws at the end of the reversely bent portion of the second jaw, the inner surface of the reversely bent portion of the second jaw having a transverse curved groove forming a gripping surface cooperating with the flat gripping surface of the first jaw for reception of the wire bead between the jaws, with the handles extending alongside the outer surface of the beaded edge of the fender and the flat gripping surface engaging the flat portion of the bead and the grooved gripping surface concentrically engaging the curved portion of said bead, the handles being adapted to swing the jaws as a unit concentrically with the wire of the bead, so that the grooved gripping surface tightly wraps the curved portion of the bead around the wire while the flat gripping surface rides along the bead where its flat portion merges into its curved portion.

ROY CHOATE. 

